I've wanted a toy hauler since I started riding 20 years ago, and I finally made it happen! A few weeks ago I purchased a 2006 Weekend Warrior FS2300. (Yes, I knew about the Weekend Warrior problems ahead of time). The trailer was a great deal, has been stored under a carport it's whole life, and was owned by a couple who used it twice a year (New Years and 4th of July) for family reunions...needless to say it was cleaner than most of the bajillion I looked at. I've gone through the WW and cleaned/prepped/done maintenance to everything I could think of, but I still have a few questions that I am fully aware are stupid...never having been around RVs or Toy Haulers, I just legitimately have no idea:
1. Can you run the refrigerator when you are towing? Specifically, if I head out for a weekend should I pack my food and drink in a cooler and transfer it over when we get to our destination, or is it okay to put in the refrigerator before we head out?
2. If we have 2 people using the toilet and shower for 2 nights, should I empty the black and grey-water tanks immediately? Or if we plan to head out again within a few weeks, is it okay to leave it until we have a few more days of use?
3. Does the generator charge the batteries as well as powering the trailer? When do people usually run the generator?
4. In general, is there anything I should know about toy haulers/travel trailers?
5. Specific to the WW frame issue, what can I do to mitigate the problem? I checked the frame and while it has a VERY slight (few degree) upturn, the frame is, for all intents and purposes, straight. I haven't seen photos of the frame repair so I can't confirm, but I don't believe it's been done on this trailer.
I owned a WW FS2600 for 12 years and we absolutely loved it. Not that it didn't have it's problems (because it really did!), but we focused on the good times and not the frustrations. (You can read the WW Repairs thread to see parts of our journey.)
Good questions. You'll get an assortment of answers, so here are my opinions.
1. Yes. We typically bring our RV home from storage and turn on the fridge, and then we load the food the next day after it has fully cooled down. You can load it faster than that, but your food will warm up with the warm fridge before it all cools down again. Anything in the freezer will partially thaw and then re-freeze, so it's best to really let the fridge/freezer do their thing before you load them.
You'll hear different opinions about driving with the fridge on. We ALWAYS drive with ours on. Some folks say it's dangerous. Maybe do some Google searches to see if you can find stats to support one argument or the other.
A lot of people turn off their fridge before they pull into a gas station, because they're afraid the fridge's pilot light could ignite the gasoline vapors. I only pull up to the diesel islands, so I don't have a strong opinion about this. We never turn ours off.
2. Haha. You'll have to figure this out yourself. It depends on how much you shower, how slowly you wash your dishes, your diet, etc. The weather is a factor too. Your temps probably don't get as high in SC as they do for us down here in So Cal. I wouldn't leave my tanks to set like that during the heat of the summer, but I might during the winter. Only time and experience will answer this for you.
3. Yes. Sort of. Since your WW was owned by a little old lady who only used it on Sundays, it probably has the stock Iota charger that WW installed. Those chargers are pretty bad. Your generator will charge your batteries, but very slowly. The Iota has a little RV-11 plug (phone-style plug) with a resistor loop. When you plug that in, it will bump up to a faster charge. Use this gently, because it's too strong of a charge to use all the time. You'll boil your batteries that way.
You should look into upgrading to a "smart" charger that will charge your batteries at varying levels until it eventually shuts off when the batteries are fully charged. Better yet, look into an inverter/charger, so you can plug in your coffee maker and TV without running the gen all the time.
4. Yep. Lots. Keep reading forum posts. Also check out the Beginning RVing, General, and Travel Trailer forums. I also like the "RV Newbies" group on Facebook, but some of those discussions get kind of crazy.
5. Ask the previous owner if they ever had the recall work done. Assuming they didn't, there are outrigger arms that WW installed on some of the models. There's also a more major frame fix that you can see in the WW Repairs thread, but I don't think that applied to the FS2300. If the frame looks OK to you, then you should be good. Watch for the front cargo hatches and make sure they open/close freely. If they pinch, then you're in trouble. Also look for any separation in the bend of the nose in front.
Don't overload it and don't drive too crazy when you get off road. You should be good.
2014 RAM 3500 Diesel 4x4 Dually long bed. AISIN trans & 4.10 rear. B&W RVK3600 hitch • 2015 Crossroads Elevation Homestead Toy Hauler ("The Taj Mahauler") • Hooligan #3
Toys:
- 18 Can Am Maverick x3
- 05 Yamaha WR450
- 07 Honda CRF250X
- 05 Honda CRF230
- 06 Honda CRF230
2. We always dump at the end of the trip. No sense letting that stuff sit in there fermenting.
3. Don't know because I don't have a genny. But I would think it should.
4. Loading and weight distribution is key for toy haulers. Keep a reasonable tongue weight because it varies a lot depending on what you are hauling. A big UTV in the back weighs a lot more than a dirt bike...if you know what I mean.
5. If it looks like it is already bent up a little, do some research here and maybe take it to a welder and have it beefed up a little.
Some good replies so I’m only going to add a few comments.
2. You can probably go without dumping but make sure you treat the tanks with the “stuff” that is commercially available. You may learn you want to dump quicker. If you can dump at home or at the campground before going home I’d do it, then you don’t start your next trip with tanks partially full and you’re not paying to haul that extra weight around.
3. Yes, it should, but it may not do it very well. When our stock converter/charger died we paid to upgrade ours with one from Progressive Dynamics. It gives more options, such as a rapid charge. Well worth the upgrade and I wish I’d done it years before.
4. Lots to know, you can learn a lot reading the forum and some of the questions. Don’t hesitate to ask anything. The only stupid question is the one you didn’t ask.
5. We've maintained the WW Repairs Thread for 10 years as it's still chock full of helpful info for those with the WW issues. I'd sit down with the beverage of your choice and read through it, if it takes more then 2 beverages you might want to split it into two evenings
![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/wink.gif "wink")
Welcome to the forums!
2007 Winnebago Sightseer 35J
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon
Y-Guy wrote:
I'd sit down with the beverage of your choice and read through it, if it takes more then 2 beverages you might want to split it into two evenings
Welcome to the forums!
I'd sit down with the beverage of your choice and read through it, if it takes more then 2 beverages you might want to split it into two evenings
Welcome to the forums!
That thread represents way more than two beverages worth of grief and sweat.
![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/biggrin.gif "biggrin")
1. I typically turn the fridge on a couple of days before I leave while it's still plugged in. Once it's cold I throw in bag of ice in the freezer. I leave it on Auto for the entire trip.
2. Only dump the toilet and water when it's as full as convenient. The more black and gray water, the better it drains out.
3. yes.
4. You'll always be working on it and spending some $$. Always good to find a good local service guy but you have to be handy and carry lots of tools. At least be able to winterize and service it. I recently had to find someone to help me replace half the kitchen floor.
Also, have a commercial trailer repair outfit check the wheel bearings.
And consider replacing the tires.
5. Yes, the frames are prone to breaking. Find a trailer repair business, like for commercial trailers, and have them inspect it. I spent $3500 to fix mine (2nd time) and was given no warranty (and they usually give a limited warranty).
I usually take mine out 3 or 4 times a year. My longest trips are usually 2k-4k miles. My short ones are 300 miles r/t.
John L
WW SL 2805 5th Wheel
2004.5 Chevy 2500HD Allison Duramax X Cab
Ducati 939 SS, Moto Guzzi V11 Sport, Moto Guzzi EV California and Suzuki 1200 Bandit
2) Empty Black tank when it is full and the more liquid in it the better as far as it draining. If your on hookups use plenty of water to flush, more than you think is necessary. Some trailers come with Black tank flush fittings which is basically jusy like a sprinkler inside the tank. I do not ever leave my full between trips. It is not a septic system, just a holding tank.
3) The Generator will power all the 120v outlets, interior and exterior 120v lights, Air Conditioning and Microwave. Yes it will charge your house batteries which power all the 12V lights, refrigerator, heater, water pump.
4) One tip I like for Toy Hauler use is to get a battery powered leaf blower. Nothing cleans house like dropping the tail and blwoing out the inside. Also I have a spare set of scissor jacks for holding up the droor to make it into a patio.
5) No personal experience with WW.
1992 D250 Cummins 5psd
2005 Forest River T26 Toy Hauler
2015 Cummins Ram 4wd CC/SB
1320Fastback wrote:
4) One tip I like for Toy Hauler use is to get a battery powered leaf blower. Nothing cleans house like dropping the tail and blwoing out the inside. Also I have a spare set of scissor jacks for holding up the droor to make it into a patio.
4) One tip I like for Toy Hauler use is to get a battery powered leaf blower. Nothing cleans house like dropping the tail and blwoing out the inside. Also I have a spare set of scissor jacks for holding up the droor to make it into a patio.
Or if you use a gas powered blower, use your battery disconnect switch to kill the power first, or else all of your alarms will go off.
1. Unfortunately, much of the paperwork has been lost for the appliances on the trailer so I need to ask a question I would normally find out for myself: What is the difference between the "Auto" and Gas mode on the refrigerator? As I seem to understand it, Auto uses electricity to maintain temperature (for a while) while as Gas uses propane for "full" operation?
2. When I bought the trailer the gentleman gave me a quick walk around which mostly just left me perplexed. Specifically in the little "electricity compartment." Per the photo below, can you confirm that (1) is the power cut off and (2) is where you plug in the power line when you're running the generator? It seems logical to me but he stated that (1) is a switch for when you go between generator or plug-in power. In my experience so far, that's false.
![[image]](https://i.imgur.com/23mw6iB.jpg?2)
* This post was last edited 02/14/18 10:00am by an administrator/moderator *
So questions...
Good questions. Keep them coming.
The Gas setting for the fridge runs it on Propane 100% of the time. "Auto" will detect whether you have a shore power connection (or generator) and run it off electric. You can listen when it's on Auto and you shut off the generator or unplug the shore power cable: a few seconds after the you cut the power, you'll hear "snick, snick, snick, whoom" as the pilot lights your fridge.
In the power box...
The guy was wrong about the plunger switch (1). That's your battery disconnect. Always use that switch when you aren't using your trailer. It will isolate your batteries and prevent phantom draws like the alarms/detectors from draining your power. Those phantom draws will kill your batteries in less than a week. Your tongue jack will still work, regardless of the position of the switch.
That 30A female receptacle (2) is the output of the generator. You can fire up your gen and run it till for hours, but your batteries won't charge and your 110 outlets won't work unless you plug the shore power cord into that outlet.
You can see your bus bar and row of fuses there too. It's pretty easy to add more accessories there, like power for a lighted beacon on a flag pole or strips of LEDs.
That big silver box is your converter/charger. I shouldn't call it "junk", but it's not good. One of your first upgrades should be investing in a smart charger/inverter. Whether you do it yourself or have someone else install it, you want the inverter closer to your batteries (in the front storage compartment). After you do that, you can remove that stock charger to make more room to coil your shore power cord.
I’m not sure on the switch, Dave could be spot on about it as he knows WW better. On my RV I have an Onan 5500 generator with a plug in receptacle like you have. Inside I have a switch that says Generator and Power Cord. On generator mode I put the plug in the receptacle and that will give me 50amp power, when I plug in at a campground and in Power Code position I have 30amp, which is really just fine for my needs. Based on the apparent size of the wires on switch (1) I would agree with Dave though, battery shut off makes sense. But you can experiment with it easily to verify that.
2015 Ram 3500/DRW/Aisin/auto/Max tow/4.10s,Cummins, stock Laramie Limited--Silver
Tequila Sunrise 2012 Ultra Classic Limited
2018 Raptor 428SP
LowRyter wrote:
Mine has a spare tire but no jack. Of course the spare only held 10lb when I needed it.
Gotcha I always check my spares as well. If you have some wood you can stack it to roll one wheel up it. Or get a bottle jack a Harbor frightMine has a spare tire but no jack. Of course the spare only held 10lb when I needed it.
https://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsea........atured+Weight%2Cf%2CSale+Rank%2Cf&q=Jack
I got to spend 2 nights in the trailer with my wife, her best friend, and on one of the nights two of my friends (plus 3 dogs). A few observations:
1. Don't cook so much onion and garlic haha
2. Instruct your friends on what to do/not to do BEFORE they start drinking
3. Give yourself 20 minutes with the hot water on before you try to take a shower
4. Blocks/ramps for the wheels are a MUST
A few questions as well:
1. We ended up being near toilets (kudos to Hollister Hills SVRA to keeping them clean) so we didn't use the trailer toilet. Am I correct in my assessment that we would then only need to dump the grey water tank? And would I be correct in assuming that I can do so on my property as it would just be mostly soapy water? (I am on 3 acres in the country)
2. I got low battery warnings out of my smoke/gas detectors when some of the exterior lights were on and the generator was not (see #2 in observations). I also showed empty batteries when I checked the monitor. When I turned off the lights this stopped and the monitor showed "good" batteries. Would this be indicative of old/bad batteries?
To answer your questions:
1a: If nobody used the toilet, then there shouldn't be anything in the black tank.
1b: Give it a shot and see what you think. The hygiene of the gray tank really depends on how lazy everyone was before you did dishes. If they scraped the plates real well, then the gray water shouldn't be too gross. Usually though, gray water has enough chunks of pasta salad, greens, marinara sauce, etc. to build up a funk. I don't know where you plan to dump it or how warm it will be, but you can end up with a nasty swarm of flies if you dump a puddle of food goo on the ground. I've pulled up to camp sites where the previous camper had dumped his gray tank and the site was so disgusting that we had to move along to another camp.
2: The batteries that came with your used rig are almost certainly shot, especially since the little old lady used it so seldom. You'll need a couple of new ones. Go cheap on your first set, because as a new owner you'll probably be pretty rough on them until you get your camping legs under you.
This is really good stuff. It sounds like you're off to a great start. Keep this up until you master the basics, and then you can tackle the nice-to-haves, like lighted camp markers, killer outdoor sound system & theater, solar powered ice maker, etc. The sky's the limit.
Before discharging grey water you need to laws in your City or County, being your in California I'd be cautious about doing it. I agree with Dave too, you can end up with some pretty bad smells from it. We camped in dispersed camping area in the desert, the Ranger encouraged watering the bushes with the grey water but recommended using a old garden hose with a sprinkler that would act as a filter for any solids. I'm not sure I'd be inclined to do it at home though.
![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile")
dedmiston wrote:
...Keep this up until you master the basics, and then you can tackle the nice-to-haves, like lighted camp markers, killer outdoor sound system & theater, solar powered ice maker, etc. The sky's the limit.
...Keep this up until you master the basics, and then you can tackle the nice-to-haves, like lighted camp markers, killer outdoor sound system & theater, solar powered ice maker, etc. The sky's the limit.
I like the solar powered ice maker idea! Does it require metric solar panels or can I use SAE sizes?
In all seriousness, thanks to the OP for these questions. I am picking my new to me Inferno 3410T this weekend and I, too will have a lot of questions.
The seller has committed to going through many of the specifics of the unit, but I know I don't even know everything I need to ask about. Does anyone have a list of the various items I should have the seller show me so I can shorten my learning curve a bit? I am a better learner when shown than having to read, and I want to have a checklist to go through when I pick up the unit.
'06 F350 6.0 Powerstroke SWA
'12 K-Z Inferno 3410
'11 Grizzly 550 EPS
'11 Grizzly 700 EPS
'06 Fleetwood Cobalt
'07 4Runner Lifted
'57 Obsessive DH
'61 Sweetie DW
Preparing for retirement and a transient lifestyle
A bad day camping is better than a good day at work
1. Generator operation, including switching between power sources
2. Heater operation
3. AC operation
4. Fridge operation (including various modes
5. Stove/Oven/Microwave operation
6. Water and water heater operation
7. Black and Grey water tank use/draining
8. I'm not familiar with the Inferno, but any "conversion" component operation, i.e. drop down bed, slide, etc.
9. Leveling best practices
10. Any other best practices he's found for the toy hauler
rockandride6 wrote:
9. Leveling best practices
9. Leveling best practices
Have you figured this out yet?
Sometime (not camping), level up the rig using a carpenters' level and then install something like this on the front nose of the trailer so you can see it from the cab of your truck. Then install a smaller bubble on the front frame so you can see it as raise/lower the tongue jack. Then you'll be ready for business.
To level once you get to camp (assuming you're boondocking on public lands), pull up and find the most level spot where you want to be, and then stop about a foot behind where you want to be. If you're just a few inches out of level, then put down some stacking leveler blocks (legos) or some Anderson Levelers if they're in your budget. Pull forward onto the blocks or levelers and watch the ball & bubble on the nose of your trailer. Stop about an inch or so past "perfect" level, because it will settle backwards when you put the truck in park and put on the brake. Once you're parked, look at your bubble again and verify that you're as level as you want to be (side-to-side).
Then chock your wheels real well with something like Bal X-Chocks and then unhitch. Once you're unhitched and you pull your truck forward, use your tongue jack to raise or lower the nose to level from front-to-back.
That's the easy way, "if" you only need to level a few inches from side-to-side (which kind of never happens).
If you're more out of level than that, do everything the same, except in addition to using the legos or Anderson levelers, use a shovel to dig holes in front of the uphill tires. As you pull forward, your uphill side will fall into the holes and the downhill side will rise up onto the blocks.
Make sure you fill your holes in when you leave camp.
dedmiston wrote:
If you're more out of level than that, do everything the same, except in addition to using the legos or Anderson levelers, use a shovel to dig holes in front of the uphill tires. As you pull forward, your uphill side will fall into the holes and the downhill side will rise up onto the blocks.
Make sure you fill your holes in when you leave camp.
If you're more out of level than that, do everything the same, except in addition to using the legos or Anderson levelers, use a shovel to dig holes in front of the uphill tires. As you pull forward, your uphill side will fall into the holes and the downhill side will rise up onto the blocks.
Make sure you fill your holes in when you leave camp.
One thing I might add is to avoid raising the passenger side too much so you don't need another step to get in/out the door. If its that far off turn 180 so the door is "down".
DIRT BIKES RULE
'12 Duramax CC short bed
2019 Wildcat Maxx 285RKX
Grappler https://www.grapplersinc.com/
* This post was edited 02/26/18 10:13am by Dirtclods *